Garden irrigator



June 13, 1950 F. c. THAMES GARDEN IRRIGATOR Filed Sept. 10, 1946 FIGJ.

INVENTOR. FRANK C THAMES TM/vars Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARDEN IRRIGATOR. Frank 0. Thames, San Antonio, Tex. Application September 10, 1946, Serial No. 696,002

My invention relates to a garden .and flower bed irrigator.

An important object of the invention is to provide an irrigator for home gardens, flower flower bed irrigator, which may be conveniently moved from place to place without turning ofi the water, and without wetting the user of the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an irrigator which is simple and practical, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which will efiiciently irrigate an average home arden.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the irrigator embodying my invention, parts in elevation,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section through the valve and associated elements, parts broken away, and drawn approximately to full scale, and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, where for the p p se of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a hollow elongated generally global container or bulb, preferably formed of glass, but which can be made of any other suitable material. The container or bulb 5 has a preferably flat bottom 6, having an elongated transverse opening or slot I, extending for substantially the full width of the bottom 6, and located near the nozzle end 8 of the container. Preferably moulded in the nozzle end 8, and located centrally in the same, is an internally screw-threaded bushing or insert 9, for receiving the externally screw-threaded portion of a nozzle Ill.

The nozzle i0 is generally tubular, and includes near its longitudinal center 9. preferably gen erally spherical valve body portion l-l, having 2 Claims. (Cl. 299-107) an internal valve seating partition or web l2,

formed integral with the nozzle. The web l2, has a valve seating opening I3, for receiving a normally open valve element l4, having a travel limiting or stop shoulder I5, for engaging against the upper inner surface of the valve body portion II, and limiting the opening travel of the valve. The valve element H is rigidly secured to the inner end of a valve stem I 6, adapted for reciprocation within an upstanding tubular boss or extension l1, formed upon the valve body portion H. The upper end of the valve stem I6 is forked for providing extension's or ears it,

having aligned elongated openings or slots 89,

for receiving a bolt 2@, or the like.

The nozzle it carries an upstanding extension or post 2i, located near the valve body portion it. Suitably pivotally connected to the upper end of post it is the forward pivoted end of a valve closing lever 22, having a handle portion 23, and adapted for swinging vertically above and arranged longitudinally of the nozzle ii. The lever 22 has a transverse opening 245, for receiving the bolt 2t, and connecting the lever with the valve stem it. The lever 22 is further provided with a spring seating recess 25, for seating one end of a suitable coil compression spring 25, the other end of which is seated in a similar recess 2? formed in the nozzle it.

The outer open end of the nozzle it carries an internally screw-threaded coupling element 28, adapted for receiving the externally screwthreaded end of a conventional garden hose.

The operation of the garden irrigator is as follows:

The screw-threaded coupling 28 is connected with a garden hose and the water is turned on. The spring 26 causes the valve element It to remain normally open, and the water from the hose passes through the nozzle and into the container or bulb 5. The force of the water from the hose is dissipated when the water strikes the interior surface of the container, at the end opposite to the nozzle Ill. The water calmly flows out of the irrigator through the slot 1 and onto the ground to be irrigated. There is no rush of water from the slot I, which might damage or wash out small garden plants. The slot 1 is placed at the same end of the container or bulb as the nozzle, so that the water flowing through the slot will have had a maximum path of travel within the container for becoming a calm smooth flow.

When it is desired to move the garden irrigator to a new location, it is not necessary to invention, herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same. and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without depariing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A garden irrigator, comprising a hollow container of impervious material including front and rear ends and a flat bottom adapted to rest atop the ground, said bottom being formed with a transverse slot therethrough adjacent said rear end, a nozzle fixed in said rear end and including a discharge end opening into said container forwardly of said slot, and means for connecting said nozzle to a source of water.

2. A garden irrigator, comprising a hollow container of impervious material including front and 4 rear ends and a flat bottom adapted'to rest atop the ground. said bottom being formed with a transverse slot therethrough adjacent said rear end, a nozzle fixed in said rear end and including a discharge end opening into said container forwardly of said slot, said nozzle including a rigid intake end extending rearwardly of said container and providing a carrying handle therefor, and means for connecting said intake end of said nozzle to a supply of water.

FRANK C. THAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,731 Taylor et a1 Apr. 10, 1883 1,277,297 Davis Aug. 27, 1918 1,644,226 Bedard Oct. 4, 1927 1,654,727 Green et al. Jan. 3, 1928 1,883,656 Estock Oct. 18, 1932 2,037,145 Palermo Apr. 14, 1936 2,213,955 De Freitas Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 90,748 Germany Feb. 12, 1897 

